6.19.2012

That Hospital Quiet

Some float along the ceilingaimlessly. Others press flat againstthe floor, as if longing to feelthe sweet deep earth beneath them.Most bounce along the walls,drawn toward TV and snacks.

We all wear the same red socks,as tourists sometimes wearbright hats on expeditions ina strange city, so they canrecognize each other.

At night, when I wander, onlyone remains, clinging with allher spindly weight to the spinningfloor. The cross tattooedbeneath her ear twists withher neck, resembling morea lethal-looking daggerthan a symbol of salvation.